Fishing reel, fishing data display device, and fishing data display system

ABSTRACT

A fishing reel  100  includes a data communication unit  44  capable of wirelessly transmitting terminal tackle water depth data to a data communication unit  66  of a fishing data display device  60 , which is arranged outside of a fishing reel  100 . The fishing data display device  60  includes a display unit  65  that displays the terminal tackle water depth data obtained from the data communication unit  44  and fish depth data obtained from a data communication unit  91  of a fish finder  90 . The fisherman is capable of easily performing jigging with a fishing reel, as well as ascertaining the water depth of terminal tackle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional Application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/039,867 filed on Jan. 24, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,805.The entire disclosure of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/039,867 ishereby incorporated herein by reference.

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Japanese PatentApplication No. 2004-026900 filed on Feb. 3, 2004. The entire disclosureof Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-026900 is hereby incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a fishing reel, and more particularlyto a fishing reel that does not have a display unit capable ofdisplaying terminal tackle water depth data.

2. Background Information

Generally, a fishing reel includes a reel unit, a spool that isrotatably mounted on the reel unit, and a handle assembly for rotatingthe spool. The spool is mounted on a spool shaft that is supported bythe reel unit, and the handle is non-rotatably mounted on a handle shaftthat is disposed in parallel with the spool shaft.

With these types of fishing reels, a counter reel is known in which awater depth measurement portion is mounted on the reel unit. Such waterdepth measurement portion serves to measure the water depth of theterminal tackle (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent ApplicationNo. 2003-284470). In this type of counter reel, a display unit composedof a liquid crystal display capable of displaying data of the waterdepth of the terminal tackle is arranged on an upper surface of the reelunit.

On the other hand, many well known small fishing reels used for jiggingdo not have a display unit arranged thereon as in the case of a counterreel (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.2003-235412). With this type of jigging fishing reel, the entire reelcan be reduced in size, and jigging can be easily performed, because adisplay unit is not arranged on the reel unit.

Because this type of jigging fishing reel does not have a display unitarranged on the reel unit, the water depth of the terminal tackle cannotbe ascertained. Accordingly, jigging fishing reels are known that can becoupled to separate display unit on the exterior of the reel, and thedisplay unit and the reel are connected by a cord (see, for example,Patent Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-27878). With thistype of fishing reel, the water depth of the terminal tackle can beascertained because the display unit is coupled to the fishing reel onthe exterior of the reel through the cord.

With a conventional fishing reel that is coupled to a display unit onthe exterior of the reel, the cord that connects the display unit andthe reel will be an impediment when performing jigging. Thus, if thecord is an impediment, it may not be possible to perform jigging well,such as fine jerking movements and the like.

In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artfrom this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved fishingreel, a display unit, and a fishing data display system that overcomethe problems of the conventional art. This invention addresses this needin the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art from this disclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention enables a fisherman to easily perform jigging witha fishing reel, as well as ascertain the water depth of the terminaltackle.

One aspect of the present invention is a fishing reel that is adapted tobe used with an exterior unit, and a fishing line having a terminaltackle at its end that is adapted to be wound around the fishing reel.The fishing reel includes a reel unit; a spool that is rotatably mountedon the reel unit for winding the fishing line; a water depth measurementunit configured to measure a water depth of the terminal tackle andproduce a water depth datum; and a first data transmission unitconfigured to wirelessly transmit the water depth datum to the exteriorunit.

This fishing reel includes a first wireless transmission unit capable ofwirelessly and externally transmitting a terminal tackle water depthdatum. The first wireless transmission unit transmits and receives in acomparatively narrow range capable of being used on board a boat, andwhich employs a wireless system such as UWB (ultra wide band) wireless,Bluetooth, or the like. Here, by providing a fishing data display devicethat is capable of displaying the terminal tackle water depth dataseparately from the fishing reel, the size of the fishing reel can bekept small, while allowing the fisherman to ascertain the water depth ofthe terminal tackle. Furthermore, by wirelessly connecting the fishingreel and the external fishing data display device, it will be no longernecessary to provide a cord to connect the fishing reel and an externalfishing data display device as in the conventional art. Thus, jiggingcan be easily performed.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the fishing reelfurther includes a first electrical power supply unit arranged on thereel unit which supplies electricity to the first data transmissionunit. Here, electrical power for performing wireless communication canbe supplied by the first electrical power supply unit. Examples of thefirst electrical power supply unit include a battery such as a buttonbattery, an electricity storage element, or the like that is arranged onthe inside or outside of the reel unit, a cord connected to the battery,a solar battery arranged on the exterior of the reel unit, or the like.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the fishing reelfurther includes a case member that is made of a synthetic resin and isarranged on the reel unit. The case member is capable of accommodatingthe first wireless transmission unit in an interior of the case member.Here, by providing a cover member that can cover, for example an entirestructure of the first wireless transmission unit including an antennawith a case member made of a synthetic resin, interference duringwireless communication can be prevented.

The fishing reel according to another aspect of the present invention isa fishing reel in which the case member is detachably mounted to thereel unit. Here, because the case member is detachably mounted to thereel unit, the case member can be removed when the first wirelesstransmission unit is not used.

The fishing reel according to yet another aspect of the presentinvention is a fishing reel in which the water depth measurement unitincludes a sensor that is configured to detect the number of spoolrotations, and the terminal tackle water depth datum is obtained basedon the number of spool rotations. Here, because the number of spoolrotation can be wirelessly transmitted as, for example, the water depthdatum, the terminal tackle water depth datum can be easily obtained.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the fishingreel further includes a control unit that stores map data. The waterdepth datum is obtained based on the number of spool rotations and themap data. Here, because the number of spool rotations will be convertedto the terminal tackle water depth data with the map data stored in thecontrol unit, highly accurate terminal tackle water depth data withcomparatively few discrepancies can be obtained.

The fishing reel according to another aspect of the present invention isa fishing reel in which the control unit is provided in an interior ofthe reel unit. Here, for example, when a fishing data display devicecapable of displaying terminal tackle water depth data is arrangedseparately from the fishing reel, because it will be no longer necessaryto arrange the control unit on a fishing data display device, aconventional fishing data display device that does not include a controlunit can be connected the fishing reel.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda fishing data display device in which the fishing data display deviceis connected to a fishing reel. The fishing data display device includesa body member, display unit arranged on the body member, a firstwireless reception unit configured to wirelessly receive a water depthdatum from a first wireless transmission unit of the fishing reel, and afirst display unit configured to display the water depth datum receivedby the first wireless reception unit.

This fishing data display device includes a first wireless receptionunit that is capable of wirelessly receiving terminal tackle water depthdata transmitted from the first wireless transmission unit of thefishing reel. Here, by arranging the fishing data display deviceseparately from the fishing reel, the size of the fishing reel can bekept small, while allowing the fisherman to ascertain the water depth ofthe terminal tackle. Furthermore, by wirelessly connecting the fishingreel and the fishing data display device, it will no longer be necessaryto provide a cord between the fishing reel and the fishing data displaydevice as in the conventional art. Thus, jigging can be easilyperformed.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the fishing datadisplay device further includes a second display unit configured todisplay data obtained from a data collection device that is connected tothe body member of the fishing data display device. Here, the fishingdata display device can quickly obtain various data from the datacollection device that is separate from the fishing reel as well as theterminal tackle water depth data.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the fishingdata display device further includes a data storage unit configured tostore various data in the body member. Here, for example, by providing adata storage unit that stores various data, past data can be referencedand a history can be displayed.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the fishing datadisplay device further includes a data input unit configured to receiveinput of various data. Here, for example, by providing a data input unitthat receives various data, various data can be corrected andsupplemented, and detailed settings can be performed on the fishing datadisplay device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the fishing datadisplay device further includes a second power supply unit that supplieselectricity to the first wireless reception unit. Here, electrical powerfor performing wireless communication can be supplied by the secondelectrical power supply unit. Examples of the second electrical powersupply unit includes a battery such as an electricity storage element orthe like that is arranged on the inside or outside of the body member, acord connected to the battery, a solar battery arranged on the exteriorof the body member, or the like.

The fishing data display device according to still another aspect of thepresent invention is a fishing data display device in which the firstwireless reception unit is provided in an interior of the body member.Here, by installing the first wireless reception unit in the bodymember, the entire structure of the fishing data display device can bemade more compact.

The fishing data display device according to yet another aspect of thepresent invention is a fishing data display device in which the firstwireless reception unit is provided outside of the body member. Here,for example, a wireless function can be added later as an option to afishing data display device that does not originally have a wirelessfunction.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the fishing datadisplay device further includes a cord for supplying electricity, and asecond power supply unit that supplies electricity to the first wirelessreception unit. The first wireless reception unit and the second powersupply unit are connected to the body member via the cord such that thefirst wireless reception unit and the first display unit communicatevarious data via the cord. Here, in a fishing data display device thatdoes not have a wireless function, a wireless function can be addedwithout increasing the size of the body member by arranging the firstwireless reception unit along the cord.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda fishing data display system that displays water depth data of aterminal tackle attached to an end of a fishing line. The fishing datadisplay system includes a fishing reel and fishing data display deviceconfigured to be connected to the fishing reel. The fishing reelincludes a reel unit, a spool that is rotatably mounted on the reel unitfor winding the fishing line, a water depth measurement unit configuredto measure the water depth of the terminal tackle and produce a waterdepth datum, and a first data transmission unit configured to wirelesslytransmit the water depth datum. The fishing data display device a bodymember, a display unit arranged on the body member, a first wirelessreception unit configured to wirelessly receive a water depth datum fromthe first wireless transmission unit of the fishing reel, and a firstdisplay unit configured to display the water depth datum received by thefirst wireless reception unit.

This fishing data display system includes a fishing reel having a firstwireless transmission unit capable of wirelessly transmitting terminaltackle water depth data, and a fishing data display device having afirst wireless reception unit capable of wirelessly receiving terminaltackle water depth data transmitted from the first wireless transmissionunit. Here, by arranging the fishing data display device separately fromthe fishing reel, the size of the fishing reel can be kept small, whileallowing the fisherman to ascertain the water depth of the terminaltackle. Furthermore, by wirelessly connecting the reel and the externaldisplay device, it will no longer be necessary to provide a cord betweenthe fishing reel and the fishing data display device as in the priorart. Thus, jigging can be easily performed.

The fishing data display system according to another aspect of thepresent invention is a fishing data display system in which the fishingdata display device further includes a second display unit configured todisplay data obtained from a fish finder that is connected to the bodymember of the fishing data display device. The fish finder is configuredto collect data related to fish school locations. Here, for example, theterminal tackle water depth data can be superimposed on the fish schooldata to unitarily display various data.

The fishing data display system according to another aspect of thepresent invention is a fishing data display system in which the fishingdata display device further includes a second display unit configured todisplay data obtained from a data collection device that is connected tothe body member of the fishing data display device, the data collectiondevice further includes a second wireless transmission unit capable ofwirelessly transmitting various data, and the fishing data displaydevice further includes a second wireless reception unit capable ofwirelessly receiving various data transmitted from the second wirelesstransmission unit. Here, by wirelessly connecting not only the fishingreel and the fishing data display device, but also the data collectiondevice and the fishing data display device, the fishing data displaydevice can be used in any location.

The fishing data display system according to another aspect of thepresent invention is a fishing data display system in which the fishingdata display device further includes a third wireless transmission unitcapable of wirelessly transmitting various command data, and the fishingreel further includes a third wireless reception unit capable ofwirelessly receiving various command data transmitted from the thirdwireless transmission unit. Here, because wireless communication can beperformed from the fishing data display device to the fishing reel, thefishing reel can be controlled from, for example, the fishing datadisplay device.

The fishing data display system according to yet another aspect of thepresent invention is a fishing data display system in which the firstdata transmission unit transmits the terminal tackle water depth data ofthe fishing reel in accordance with the command data transmitted by thethird wireless reception unit. Here, by wirelessly communicating variouscommand data from the fishing data display device when terminal tacklewater depth datum is needed, the terminal tackle water depth data can beobtained at any desired timing.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the fishing datadisplay system further includes a control unit that stores map data. Thewater depth datum is obtained based on the number of spool rotations andthe map data. The control unit is provided in an interior of the bodymember of the fishing data display device. Here, by arranging thecontrol unit on the fishing data display device, the control structureof the fishing reel can be simplified, and thus the consumption of theelectricity can be reduced. Because of this, even with a configurationin which, for example, a comparatively small amount of electricity isobtained from the rotation of the spool, it is possible to drive thefirst wireless transmission unit and other units.

The fishing data display system according to another aspect of thepresent invention is a fishing data display system in which the fishingdata display device further includes a cord for supplying electricity,and a second power supply unit that supplies electricity to the firstwireless reception unit. The first wireless reception unit and thesecond power supply unit are connected to the body member via the cordsuch that the first wireless reception unit and the first display unitcommunicate various data via the cord. The control unit is providedoutside of the body member. Here, because it will no longer be necessaryto arrange the control unit on both the reel unit of the fishing reeland the body member of the fishing data display device, a conventionalfishing data display device that does not have a control unit can beused in the fishing data display system of the present invention. Also,because the control structure of the fishing reel can be simplified,consumption of the electricity of the various control structures can bereduced.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with theannexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of thisoriginal disclosure:

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of a fishing reel in accordance with the firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fishing reel in accordance withthe first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a lateral view of the fishing reel in accordance with thefirst embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of the fishing reel and the fishingdata display device in accordance with the first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the fishing data display device in accordancewith the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a figure illustrating a screen of a display unit of thefishing data display unit in accordance with the first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a an oblique view of a fishing reel in accordance with thealternate embodiment (c) of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is an oblique view of the fishing reel and the fishing datadisplay device in accordance with the alternate embodiment (j) of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Selected embodiments of the present invention will now be explained withreference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in theart from this disclosure that the following descriptions of theembodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration onlyand not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by theappended claims and their equivalents.

A fishing reel in which an embodiment of the present invention has beenadopted is, as shown in FIG. 1, a small and round dual bearing reelcapable of jigging, and is a type of reel that does not have a displayunit capable of displaying terminal tackle water depth data. This reelincludes a reel unit 1, a handle assembly 2 for rotating a spool that isdisposed on one side of the reel unit 1, and a star drag 3 that isdisposed at the reel unit 1 side of the handle assembly 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, a spool 15 that serves to wind up or release fishingline is rotatably mounted on the reel unit 1, and the reel unit 1 isattached to a fishing rod R with a rod attachment leg 4. The reel unit 1includes, as shown in FIG. 2, a frame 5 having a first side plate 10 anda second side plate 11 that are disposed from left to right so as tohave a predetermined gap therebetween and a plurality of connectionmembers 12 for connecting the first side plate 10 and the second sideplate 11, a first side cover 13 and a second side cover 14 mounted onboth sides of the frame 5, and a mechanism mounting plate 16 mounted onthe second side cover 14. The mechanism mounting plate 16 is in contactwith the second side plate 11, and a space is formed between themechanism mounting plate 16 and the second side cover 14 in order toaccommodate various mechanisms. In addition, a clutch lever 40 ispivotally mounted on the rear of the second side cover 14 of the reelunit 1, and serves to operate a clutch mechanism (not shown in thefigures). Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a data communicationunit 44 capable of wirelessly outputting terminal tackle water depthdata to a later-described data display device 60 (see FIGS. 4 and 5)that is arranged on the exterior of the fishing reel 100, and a switchoperation unit 47 that turns the data communication unit 44 on and off,are attached to the front of the second side cover 14 of the reel unit 1so that they are exposed. The data communication unit 44 includes afirst data transmission unit 44 a.

The frame 5 is obtained by die-casting, and the second side cover 14 isobtained by press-forming sheet metal. The first side plate 10, thesecond side plate 11, and the first side cover 13 form a circular shapewhen viewed laterally, and the outer peripheral faces are machinedusing, for example, a lathe or the like. The second side cover 14 andthe mechanism fitting plate 16 have, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a shapein which a part of the circular shape projects radially outward whenviewed laterally. A mounting portion of a handle shaft 30 (see FIG. 2)also projects outward in the axial direction from the center of thesecond side cover 14.

The connection members 12 are plate-shaped members that are formed alongthe outer circumferences of the first side plate 10 and the second sideplate 11 and are formed integrally with the first side plate 10 and thesecond side plate 11, and connect the first side plate 10 and the secondside plate 11 at three locations in the reel unit 1, e.g., at the rear,the bottom, and the top thereof. Like with the first side cover 13, theouter circumferences of the connection members 12 are machinedintegrally with the first side plate 10 and the second side plate 11.The rod attachment leg 4 is fixed to the bottom connection member 12,and a thumb rest 17 made of a synthetic resin is mounted to the rearconnection member 12.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the handle assembly 2 includes a handle arm 6non-rotatably mounted to an end of the handle shaft 30, a handle knob 7rotatably mounted to one end of the handle arm 6, and a knob shaft 8that is made of metal and that serves to rotatably mount the handle knob7 to the handle arm 6. The handle arm 6 is a flat metal member thatextends radially outward from the handle shaft 30. As shown in FIG. 2,the handle arm 6 is non-rotatably engaged with a chamfered portion 30 aformed at the tip of the handle shaft 30, and is detachably fixed to thehandle shaft 30 with a fixing nut 30 b.

A reel controller 43 shown in FIG. 4 that controls various interfacesthat include the data communications unit 44 and the switch operationunit 47 is provided in the interior of the second side cover 14 of thereel unit 1. A battery 46 (see FIG. 3) such as an electricity storagebattery and the like that serves to supply electricity to things such asa spool sensor 41 and a spool counter 42, the data communication unit44, and the reel controller 43, is provided in the interior of thesecond side cover 14.

The reel controller 43 includes a microcomputer that includes a CPU,RAM, ROM, an I/O interface, and the like that are disposed inside thesecond side cover 14. The reel controller 43 will execute variouscontrol operations of the data communication unit 44 and the like inaccordance with a control program. As shown in FIG. 4, the reelcontroller 43 is connected to a spool sensor 41 and a spool counter 42which serve to detect the rotational direction and number of rotations(rotational position data) of the spool 15, the data communication unit44, the switch operation unit 47, a memory unit 48, and otherinput/output units.

The spool sensor 41 is composed of two lead switches that are alignedfrom front to rear. The lead switches detect two magnets mounted on amagnet wheel. By counting the detection pulses with the spool counter42, the number of rotations of the reel can be detected. In addition,the rotational direction of the spool 15 can be detected based onwhether the lead switches generated a detection pulse.

The spool counter 42 calculates the number of times the spool sensor 41is turned on and off, and rotational position data related to the numberof spool rotations is obtained by means of this calculated value. Thenumber of rotations calculated by the spool counter 42 will decreasewhen the spool 15 rotates normally (rotates in the line releasingdirection), and will increase when the spool 10 rotates in the oppositedirection.

The reel controller 43 will perform various types of control of the datacommunication unit 44 and the like, and will perform a water depthcalculation process that calculates terminal tackle water depth data.The water depth calculation process will convert the number of rotationsof the spool 15 to terminal tackle water depth data by correlating thenumber of rotations of the spool 15 counted by the spool counter 42 withmap data stored in the memory unit 48. The terminal tackle water depthdata obtained in this manner is sent to the data communication unit 44as numerical value data.

As shown in FIG. 4, the data communication unit 44 is capable oftransmitting and receiving various types of data to and from a datacommunication unit 66 of a fishing data display device 60 arranged onthe exterior of the fishing reel 100. The data communication unit 66includes a first wireless reception unit 66 a that communicates with thefirst wireless transmission unit 44 a, a second wireless reception unit66 b that communicates with a wireless transmission unit 91 a of a fishfinder 90 (described below) and a third wireless transmission unit 66 cthat communicates with a third wireless reception unit 44 b of the datacommunication unit 44. The data communication unit 44 is a low outputdevice that transmits and receives in a comparatively narrow range thatcan be used on board a boat that employs a wireless system such as UWB(ultra wide band) wireless or the like. The data communication unit 44can transmit terminal tackle water depth data obtained from the spoolsensor 41 and the spool counter 42 to the data communication unit 66 ofthe fishing data display device 60. In addition, the data communicationunit 44 can receive command data transmitted from the data transmissionunit 66 of the fishing data display device 60, and transmit various databased upon this command data via the reel controller 43. As shown inFIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the entire data communication unit 44, including anantenna (also known as a data collection device) that is exposed on theexterior of the second side cover 14, is covered by a case member madeof a synthetic resin.

The switch operation unit 47 is a pressure type toggle switch thatserves to turn the data communication unit 44 on and off. When theswitch operation unit 47 is turned on, wireless communication ispossible, and when the switch operation unit 47 is turned off, wirelesscommunication is not possible. The switch operation unit 47 is arrangednear the rear of the data communication unit 44 on the upper portion ofthe second side cover 14. In addition, the data communication unit 44includes a power save mode in which power is automatically turned offwhen the data communication unit 44 has not transmitted or received datafor a long period of time. In this situation, the data communicationunit 44 can be turned off without turning the switch operation unit 47off.

The memory unit 48 is composed of a non-volatile memory such as anEEPROM or the like, and stores various data such as map data and thelike used during line length calculations.

As shown in FIG. 4, the fishing data display device 60 is capable ofdisplaying fish location echoes that show the water depth of the bottomof the fishing location and the position of schools of fish obtainedfrom the fish finder 90. The fishing data display device 60 serves tosuperimpose terminal tackle water depth data obtained from the fishingreel 100 with the water depth of the bottom and the fish locationdisplayed with echoes.

As shown in FIG. 5, the fishing data display device 60 includes agenerally rectangular body member 61, a data communication unit 66 thatis arranged on the upper portion of the body member 61, a display unit65 composed of a liquid crystal display that is mounted on the bodymember 61, and a switch operation unit 64 composed of a plurality ofoperation buttons arranged on the right side of the display unit 65.

As shown in FIG. 5, a battery 62 such as an electricity storage elementor the like that serves to supply electricity to the data communicationunit 66 and the like is arranged in the upper portion of the inside ofthe fishing data display device 60, and a buzzer 67 is arranged in thelower portion of the inside of the fishing data display device 60 andserves to aurally notify one of various data. In addition, as shown inFIG. 4, a monitor controller 63 that performs various control functionsis arranged in the fishing data display device 60. The monitorcontroller 63 includes a first display unit 63 a and a second displayunit 63 b. The first display unit 63 a is configured to display waterdepth data from the reel 1 on display unit 65, and the second displayunit 63 b is configured to display data from the fish finder 90 ondisplay unit 65.

The reel controller 43 includes a microcomputer that includes a CPU,RAM, ROM, an I/O interface, and the like arranged in the body member 61.The monitor controller 63 executes, in accordance with a controlprogram, display control operations that display data from the fishingreel 100 and the fish finder 90 on the display unit 65, and varioustypes of control operations for the data communication unit 66 thattransmits various command data to the fishing reel 100. In addition, asshown in FIG. 4, various switches for the switch operation unit 64, thedisplay unit 65, the data communication unit 66, the buzzer 67, thememory unit 68, and other input/output units, are connected to themonitor controller 63.

As shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of buttons of the switch operationunit 64, such as a cursor key that moves a cursor up, down, left, andright over various setting items, a power button that turns the displayof the display unit 65 on and off, a setting button that sets varioussettings, a screen switch button, and the like, are vertically arranged.

As shown in FIG. 5, the display unit 65 is for example a dot matrix typeof liquid crystal display, and is capable of displaying large amounts ofvarious data. As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 6, the display unit65 displays a water depth scale SC on the right end of the screen. Inaddition, the display unit 65 also displays terminal tackle water depthdata D1 obtained from the fishing reel 100 on the right side of thescale SC, in a position that corresponds to the water depth and with,for example, a hook shaped object that symbolizes the terminal tackle.In addition, sea bottom water depth data D2 and fish location waterdepth data D3 that are received from the fish finder 90 arechronologically displayed with echo data images in positionscorresponding to the water depth on the left side of the scale SC.Furthermore, a numerical value D2 n of the sea bottom water depth D2will be displayed on the lower left of the screen, and a numerical valueD1 n of the water depth data D1 will be displayed on the upper left ofthe screen.

As shown in FIG. 4, the data communication unit 66 is capable ofwirelessly transmitting and receiving various data between the datacommunication unit 44 of the fishing reel 100, and the datacommunication unit 91 of the fish finder 90. The data communication unit66 is a low output device that uses a wireless method such as UWB (UltraWide Band) to transmit and receive between the data communication unit44 of the fishing reel 100 and the data communication unit 91 of thefish finder 90 in a relatively narrow range capable of being used onboard a boat. The data communication unit 66 is set so that thecommunication channel thereof will be different from that of the datacommunication unit 44 and the data communication unit 91, therebypreventing interference with the data communication unit 44 and the datacommunication unit 91. The data communication unit 66 receives data suchas terminal tackle water depth data from the data communication unit 44of the fishing reel 100, and transmits various command data to the datacommunication unit 44 of the fishing reel 100. In addition, the datacommunication unit 66 can communicate with the data communication unit91 of the fish finder 90, and receives data such as the water depth ofthe bottom and the location of fish schools. As shown in FIG. 5, thedata communication unit 66 is arranged on the upper portion of the mainmember 61, and includes a metal antenna that can be extended, retracted,and rotated.

As shown in FIG. 5, the buzzer 67 includes a speaker on the lowerportion of the main member 61, and serves to generate various types ofalarm sounds and operational sounds.

The memory unit 68 is composed of a non-volatile memory such as anEEPROM or the like, is capable of storing various data received from thefishing reel 100 and the fish finder 90, and thus can reference pastdata via the monitor controller 63 and display a history of past data.

The fish finder 90 is a device that gathers data illustrating thelocation of fish, the condition of a school of fish, and the directionof movement of a school of fish, and as shown in FIG. 4, includes a datacommunication unit 91 that wirelessly transmits fish school data to thedata communication unit 66 of the fishing data display device 60, and afish depth controller 92 that is connected to the data communicationunit 91 and performs various control functions. The data communicationunit 91 is a low output device that transmits and receives in acomparatively narrow range that can be used on board a boat, and employsa wireless system such as UWB (ultra wide band) wireless or the like.Note that other configurations of the fish finder 90 are the same as astandard configuration, and thus a detailed description of otherconfigurations of the fish finder 90 will be omitted.

When using this type of fishing data display device 60 and fish finder90 to engage in fishing, the switch operation unit 47 of the fishingreel 100 will be first turned on, and then the data communication unit44 will be placed into a state in which wireless communication ispossible. The power switches of the fishing data display device 60 andthe fish finder 90 will also be turned on, various settings will beperformed, and the data communication unit 66 and the data communicationunit 91 will be placed into a state in which wireless communication ispossible. Here, when the data communication unit 44 of the fishing reel100 and the data communication unit 66 of the fishing data displaydevice 60 are wirelessly connected, the data communication unit 44 andthe data communication unit 66 will be in a stand-by state in which theywait for various control commands. Then, when a command (a transmissionrequest) to transmit terminal tackle water depth data from the datacommunication unit 66 to the data communication unit 44 is transmitted,the terminal tackle water depth data will be transmitted from the datacommunication unit 44 to the data communication unit 66, and theterminal tackle water depth data will be displayed on the display unit65 via the monitor controller 63.

Next, the clutch lever 40 of the fishing reel 100 is moved to the offposition, and the terminal tackle is lowered into the water. At thispoint, the spool 15 is rotated in the line release direction, and thenumber of rotations of the spool 15 is calculated by the spool sensor 41and the spool counter 42. Then, the number of rotations of the spool 15is converted into terminal tackle water depth data by means of a waterdepth calculation process of the reel controller 43. The terminal tacklewater depth data is transmitted from the data communication unit 44 tothe data communication unit 66, and is displayed in real time on thedisplay unit 65 via the monitor controller 63.

On the other hand, fish school data obtained from the fish finder 90 istransmitted from the data communication unit 91 to the datacommunication unit 66, and is graphically displayed together with theterminal tackle water depth data on the display unit 65 via the monitorcontroller 63.

When the terminal tackle arrives at the bottom, the clutch lever 40 willbe moved to the on position, and the fisherman will refer to the displayunit 65 of the fishing data display device 60 while winding up thefishing line in order to position the terminal tackle in a locationwhere fish are present. When the line winding operation is performed, inorder to lure fish, the fishing rod and reel are repeated jerked upwardand the fishing line is quickly reeled in, i.e., jigging is performed.When jigging is performed so that the terminal tackle is positionedabove the point where fish are located, the clutch lever 40 will againbe moved to the off position, and the terminal tackle will be loweredback to the bottom. Next, the clutch lever 40 will again be moved to theon position, and the fisherman will refer to the fish location on thedisplay unit 65 while repeatedly performing jigging in a range thatincludes the fish location. Then, when a fish is hooked, the jiggingwill be stopped, a winding operation will be performed up to the watersurface, and the fish will be pulled out of the water. The terminaltackle water depth data during this series of operations is sequentiallytransmitted from the data communication unit 44 to the datacommunication unit 66, and is displayed together with the fish schooldata on the display unit 65. Here, by displaying the terminal tacklewater depth data on the display unit 65, the terminal tackle can bereliable positioned where fish are located, and thus it will be easy tohook fish.

Because the data communication unit 44 capable of wirelessly outputtingterminal tackle water depth data to the data communication unit 66 ofthe fishing data display device 60 is arranged on the fishing reel 100,the size of the fishing reel 100 can be kept small, and the terminaltackle water depth can be determined. Furthermore, because it will nolonger be necessary to provide a cord between the fishing reel 100 andthe fishing data display device 60 as in the prior art, jigging can beeasily performed.

Alternate Embodiments

Referring now to FIGS. 7-8, a fishing reel and a fishing data displaydevice in accordance with alternate embodiments will now be explained.In view of the similarity between the first and alternate embodiments,the parts of the alternate embodiments that are identical to the partsof the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals as theparts of the first embodiment. Moreover, the descriptions of the partsof the alternate embodiments that are identical to the parts of thefirst embodiment may be omitted for the sake of brevity.

(a) In the aforementioned embodiment, the fishing data display device 60was described as an example of a display device arranged on the exteriorof the fishing reel 100. However, other terminals having a display unitmay be used, such as a portable telephone, a portable game device, a PDA(a personal portable data terminal), a notebook PC, or the like. Inaddition, the fishing data display device 60 displays data obtained fromthe fish finder 90, but can instead be designed to display data from aGlobal Position System (GPS) mounted on the fishing boat. Or, thefishing data display device 60 may be designed to display only dataobtained from the fishing reel 100. In addition, the fishing datadisplay device 60 may be configured so that it is wirelessly connectedto a plurality of fishing reels 100, and displays various datarespectively obtained from the plurality of fishing reels 100.Furthermore, the display device provided on the exterior of the fishingreel 100 may be a small fish finder 90 capable of wirelesslycommunicating with the fishing reel 100.

(b) In the aforementioned embodiment, the battery 46 such as anelectricity storage element or the like that supplies electricity to thedata communication unit 44 of the fishing reel 100 is arranged on theinside of the second side cover 14. However, the battery 46 is notlimited to this. For example, a button battery mounted on the interiorof the reel unit 1 (at least any of the connection members 12, the firstside cover 13, and the second side cover 14) may be exchanged, or asolar battery may be installed on the exterior of the reel unit 1 tosupply electricity. In addition, a cord may be connected from a batteryarranged on the exterior of the reel unit 1 to supply electricity.Furthermore, an electric generator that generates electricity by meansof the rotation of the spool 15 may also be provided so that electricityis supplied from this electric generator.

(c) In the aforementioned embodiment, the data communication unit 44 isarranged on the front of the second side cover 14 of the reel unit 1.However, as shown in FIG. 7, the data communication unit 44′ may bearranged on the first side cover 13 of the reel unit 1. In addition, thedata communication unit 44′ is arranged so that it emerges from thesecond side cover 14. However, the data communication unit 44 may beaccommodated in the interior of the second side cover 14, or may bedetachable from the second side cover 14. Furthermore, the datacommunication unit 44 is covered with a case member made of a syntheticresin. However, the data communication unit 44 is not limited to this,and may for example be a metal directional antenna that can be extended,retracted, and rotated.

(d) In the aforementioned embodiment, the wireless system of the datacommunication unit 44 employed UWB (ultra wide band) wireless. However,the wireless system is not limited to this, and may employ anotherwireless system such as Bluetooth, a special low power standardwireless, infrared wireless, or the like. In addition, the datacommunication unit 44 both transmits and receives data, but may bedesigned so as to only transmit data. Note that in this situation, thedata communication unit 66 of the fishing data display device 60 may bedesigned so as to only receive data.

(e) In the aforementioned embodiment, the switch operation unit 47 thatturns the data communication unit 44 on and off is arranged on the upperportion of the second side cover 14 of the fishing reel 100. However,the switch operation unit 47 may be arranged on the side of the secondside cover 14 or on the first side cover 13. In addition, the switchoperation unit 47 may not be provided on the fishing reel 100, theswitch operation unit 64 of the fishing data display device 60 may bedesigned so as to turn the data communication unit 44 on and off, andthe switch operation unit 64 may be arranged on both the fishing reel100 and the fishing data display device 60. Furthermore, the switchoperation unit 47 is not limited to a pressure type of toggle switch,and may, for example, be a slide-type-switch having a waterproofconstruction.

(f) In the aforementioned embodiment, the battery 62 such as anelectricity storage element or the like that supplies electricity to thedata communication unit 66 of the fishing data display device 60 isarranged on the interior of the body member 61. However, the battery 62is not limited to this. For example, a button battery mounted on theinterior of the body member 61 may be exchanged, or a solar battery maybe installed on the exterior of the body member 61 to supplyelectricity. In addition, a cord may be connected from a batteryarranged on the exterior of the reel unit 1 to supply electricity.Furthermore, an electric generator that generates electricity by meansof the rotation of the spool 15 may also be provided so that electricityis supplied from this electric generator. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 8,a cord 20 may be connected from a battery 80 arranged on the exterior ofthe body member 61 to supply electricity.

(g) In the aforementioned embodiment, the data communication unit 66 isarranged on the upper portion of the body member 61, but is not limitedto this. In addition, the data communication unit 66 is not limited to ametal directional antenna that can be extended, retracted, and rotated,and may be covered with a case member made of a synthetic resin.Furthermore, the wireless system of the data communication unit 66employed UWB (ultra wide band) wireless. However, the wireless system isnot limited to this, and may employ another wireless system such asBluetooth, a special low power standard wireless, infrared wireless, orthe like. In addition, in the aforementioned embodiment, the datacommunication unit 44 of the fishing reel 100 and the data communicationunit 91 of the fish finder 90 use the same wireless system, but may userespectively different wireless systems.

(h) In the aforementioned embodiment, the data communication unit 44 ofthe fishing reel 100 wirelessly outputs terminal tackle water depthdata. However, the data that is output is not limited to this. Forexample, temperature data obtained from a temperature sensor thatdetects heat generation from a drag mechanism may be output. This typeof temperature sensor is for example arranged directly on the dragmechanism or on the reel unit 1 and near the drag mechanism, and iscapable of measuring drag temperature data with numerical values. Thedrag temperature data can be transmitted to the data communication unit66 of the fishing data display device 60, by means of the datacommunication unit 44 via the reel controller 43. Then, the datacommunication unit 66 will display the received drag temperature data onthe display unit 65 via the monitor controller 63. In addition, when thedrag temperature data exceeds a predetermined temperature range, awarning may be displayed on the display unit 65, and the buzzer 67 maygenerate a sound as an alarm sound. Here, by arranging a temperaturemeasurement means that detects heat generated from the drag mechanism,the temperature of the drag mechanism and the reel unit to which theheat from the drag mechanism is conducted can be determined withouttouching the reel.

In the aforementioned embodiment, the buzzer 67 that generates variousalarm sounds and operational sounds is arranged on the fishing datadisplay device 60. However, the buzzer 67 may be designed to generatesound when a fish is hooked. For example, a vibration sensor thatdetects whether or not a fish has been hooked is arranged on the fishingreel 100, and hook data when a fish has been hooked will be transmittedfrom the data communication unit 44 of the fishing reel 100 to the datacommunication unit 66 of the fishing data display device 60. Then, whenthe data communication unit 66 of the fishing data display device 60receives the hook data from the data communication unit 44 of thefishing reel 100, the buzzer 67 will be made to generate a predeterminedsound via the monitor controller 63. Note that the sound of the buzzer67 can be set to be a simple click sound, a long buzzer sound, a melody,or the like. In addition, in the event that a plurality of fishing reels100 are connected, which fishing reel 100 has hooked a fish can beidentified by setting the volume and the type of sounds made by thebuzzer 67 to be different. On the other hand, in the event that the datacommunication unit 66 of the fishing data display device 60 isconfigured to receive hook data from the data communication unit 44 ofthe fishing reel 100, not only can the hook data be announced with thebuzzer 67, but the hook data can also be displayed on the display unit65 and can be stored in the memory unit 68. Note that the hook data maybe expanded with various data such as the date the fish was hooked, theamount of time until the fish was hooked, the amount of time taken forline casting and line retrieval, and the like.

(j) In the aforementioned embodiment, the data communication unit 66 ofthe fishing data display device 60 is arranged on the upper portion ofthe body member 61 of the fishing data display device 60. However, asshown in FIG. 8, a transmission/receiving unit of the data communicationunit 66 may be arranged on a branched end portion of the cord 20 thatconnects the fishing data display device 60 and the battery 80. Inaddition, if the data communication unit 66 is detachable from the cord20, other fishing reels can be connected to the branched end portion ofthe cord 20. Note that the cord 20 includes a power line that serves tosupply electricity from the battery 80 to the fishing data displaydevice 60, and a communication line that connects the data communicationunit 66 of the branched end portion and a monitor controller (not shownin the figures) inside the body member 61.

(k) In the aforementioned embodiment, the water depth calculationprocess that calculates the water depth of the terminal tackle isperformed by the reel controller 43 of the fishing reel 100. However,the water depth calculation process may be performed by the monitorcontroller 63 of the fishing data display device 60, or a controllerarranged on the exterior of the fishing reel 100 and the fishing datadisplay device 60, e.g., on the cord 20 of Embodiment (j). In addition,the terminal tackle water depth data transmitted from the datacommunication unit 44 of the fishing reel 100 is a discrete value of thespool counter 42, and the terminal tackle water depth data maycalculated in the monitor controller 63 or the controller on theexterior of the fishing reel 100 and the fishing data display device 60.

As used herein, the following directional terms “forward, rearward,above, downward, vertical, horizontal, below and transverse” as well asany other similar directional terms refer to those directions of adevice equipped with the present invention. Accordingly, these terms, asutilized to describe the present invention should be interpretedrelative to a device equipped with the present invention.

According to the present invention, by providing a first wirelesstransmission unit on a fishing reel that is capable of wirelesslytransmitting terminal tackle water depth data, jigging can be easilyperformed while allowing the fisherman to ascertain the water depth ofthe terminal tackle.

The term “configured” as used herein to describe a component, section orpart of a device includes hardware and/or software that is constructedand/or programmed to carry out the desired function.

The terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately”as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modifiedterm such that the end result is not significantly changed. For example,these terms can be construed as including a deviation of at least ±5% ofthe modified term if this deviation would not negate the meaning of theword it modifies.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate thepresent invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis disclosure that various changes and modifications can be madeherein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing descriptions of theembodiments according to the present invention are provided forillustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Thus, the scope ofthe invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

1. A fishing data display system that displays a water depth data of aterminal tackle attached to an end of a fishing line, the fishing datadisplay system comprising: a data collection device configured toaccumulate a water depth data of the sea floor and a water depth data ofthe fish location; a fishing reel including a reel unit, a spoolrotatably mounted on the reel unit for winding the fishing line, a waterdepth measurement unit configured to measure the water depth of theterminal tackle and produce water depth datum, and a first datatransmission unit disposed inside a case member coupled to an exteriorsurface of the reel unit, the first data transmission unit beingconfigured to wirelessly transmit the water depth datum; and a fishingdata display device operatively connected to the fishing reel, thefishing data display device including a body member operativelyconnected to the data collection device, a display member mounted on thebody member and configured to display a graphical image of the waterdepth data of the terminal tackle obtained from the fishing reel anddisplay a graphical image of the water depth data of the sea floor andthe water depth data of the fish location accumulated by the datacollection device, the position of the graphical image of the waterdepth data of the terminal tackle displayed on the display member beingdirectly associated with the water depth data of the sea floor and thewater depth data of the fish location, a first data reception unitconfigured to wirelessly receive the water depth datum from the firstdata transmission unit of the fishing reel, and a monitor controllerhaving a first data display unit configured to display only the waterdepth datum received by the first data reception unit on the displaymember.
 2. The fishing data display system according to claim 1, whereinthe monitor controller further having a second data display unitconfigured to display data obtained from the data collection device. 3.The fishing data display system according to claim 1, wherein the datacollection device includes a second data transmission unit configured towirelessly transmit various data.
 4. The fishing data display systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the fishing data display device furtherincludes a second data reception unit configured to wirelessly receivevarious data transmitted from the second data transmission unit.
 5. Thefishing data display system according to claim 1, wherein the fishingdata display device further includes a third data transmission unitconfigured to wirelessly transmit various command data.
 6. The fishingdata display system according to claim 1, wherein the fishing reelfurther includes a third data reception unit configured to wirelesslyreceive various command data transmitted from the third datatransmission unit.
 7. The fishing data display system according to claim5, wherein the first data transmission unit is configured to transmitthe terminal tackle water depth data of the fishing reel in accordancewith the command data transmitted by the third data reception unit. 8.The fishing data display system according to claim 5, further comprisinga control unit that stores map data, the water depth datum beingobtained based on the number of spool rotations and the map data, thecontrol unit being arranged in an interior space of the body member ofthe fishing data display device.
 9. The fishing data display systemaccording to claim 8, wherein the fishing data display device furtherincludes a cord for supplying electricity, and a power supply unit thatsupplies electricity to the first wireless reception unit, the bodymember being connected to the first data reception unit and the secondpower supply unit via the cord such that the first data reception unitand the first display unit communicate various data via the cord, andthe control unit is provided outside of the body member.
 10. The fishingdata display system according to claim 1, wherein the graphical image ofthe water depth data of the terminal tackle displayed on the displaymember is a hook-shaped object.